Windows Me will hit India on Oct. 1

NEW DELHI: Microsoft India has launched its Windows Millennium Edition

(Windows Me), its operating system for the home user. The software will be

available for retail from October 1, 2000, as a full version as well as an

upgrade for users of Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition.

Besides, it will also be offered as a preinstalled operating system with

consumer PCs. Priced at Rs 3,700 for the upgrade version, the full package will

be available for Rs 6,500.

Essentially targeted at the home user, Windows Me is expected to provide the

user a richer online experience and a rewarding home-computing experience. Says

Microsoft India managing director Sanjay Mirchandani, "Windows Me is

targeted at the home user and is intended to enable users to have fun. It is

designed to allow the home user to spend more time on the Internet, store and

play music on their computers, and spend more time playing games both locally

and on the Internet."

The major new features of Windows Me include system restore, which enables

users to roll back their PC software configuration to a date or time when it was

working properly; system file protection, which prevents accidental or

unauthorized overwriting of critical system files; auto update, which can

automatically download important Microsoft updates without user intervention.

However, what makes Windows Me more appealing to the home user is the array

of digital media features that the software has. For instance, the Windows image

acquisition feature enables users to transfer digital images from digital

cameras, scanners, and other WIA-compliant devices. The Windows moviemaker

provides tools to digitally cut, edit, share and save home videos.

The Windows media player enables users to play, organize, and play digital

media. The software uses its own compression technology and does not have the

playback feature if the music is mailed to a friend as a file unlike MP3 files.

Other features in the software include enabling the "connected home"

wherein the home networking feature will help users to easily find the shared

resources and connect them; Internet connection sharing technology; and the

universal plug and play technology in a Microsoft product for the first time.

The software is also equipped with Internet Explorer 5.5, Outlook Express, MSN

Messenger, and NetMeeting, a tool which enables voice and video conferencing.

The minimum system requirements are Pentium with 150 MHz processor (or

better) with 32 MB RAM (or better) and 480 MB to 645 MB of free hard-disk space.

To be available from October 1, company officials refused to divulge details

about projections or sales targets in the consumer segment.